Materials

Last saturday saw evidence of something not very pleasant in Korean sociaety, namely the refusal to let non-Koreans get on a tour. This kind of thing has reared it's ugly head again. I signed up for some Korean website which allows you to post photos and leave messages on. The reason I want it is so thatr I can put my student's photos on and comment on them. I have been trying all summer to get my on page. I have done everything they have asked which includes sending the company a copy of my passport. I have done that 4 times and yet, I'm still waiting. That's since june. It's the end of August now. Although, if I was Korean, I would be able to sign up and get my page in 5 minutes flat.

And then there is the small matter of mobile phones. At present, my phone is registered in my Korean friends name. So, I think that it's about time to register it in my name since I'm using and paying for it. For Korean's it's simply a case of going to one of the phone companies, signing a form and showing some ID. Easy. Clearly, though that isn't the case for 'us'. Not only do it need my passport and ID but I need to pay 200,ooo Won /about 100 quid/ for the privilege. I'm not having that and I told them. I asked for the guys boss - his office number and address but he refused to give it too me.That wil not be the end of this, that's for sure.

Where is all this coming from.All this red-tape. All this complete bollocks. All these blatant attempts to discriminate. It seems that i'm getting told 'you can't' everywhere I turn and honestly, I'm tired of it. Do you want to know what Mr. Kim, I fucking can. Get your ass out of that room salon, stop trying to knob your secretary and take your discrimation and choke on it.
This country trusts me to teach it's University student's yet it doesn't trust me to pay my mobile bill's or correctly use a webpage or even sit on a bus.

I guess everything comes in 3's and that's my 3. Who else is going to tell me 'you can't'. I dare them. Go ahead mate...i dare you.

Circus

Music is my radar as a certain Essex boy once sang. And it is...without it, life would be dull in the extreme but it's fluid and everchanging. I like bands now that I didn't like before. Conversely, there are bands that I liked but don't particularly like now. Evolution iguess. And within that, there are albums that I like better than others.
tAKE someone like R.E.M. Essentially, they invented the alt. scene in the 80's with their whimsicial southern musical style coupled with Stipes, at times, undecipherable lyrics which were never printed on the album.

Then it all went universal after the launch of Green with was their 1st for Warner. The next pushed them to U2-esque proportions. Out of Time was a big seller. Automatic for the People took it further. Their 'classic'. However, it was very introspective and I'm not that fond of it. It's got great songs Drive, Man on the Moon and the cutting politicalness of Ignoreland but the others were, slow and meandering. Heartfelt yes but..then there was Monster. A rock album. One for the World Tour. But, it's New Adventures in Hi-Fi that does it for me. An album made on the road and during soundchecks. Critically, it took abit of a mauling and commerially it don't do as well as the previous 3 albums but I feel that that is somewhat unfair as it isn't as plodding and slow as Automatic but it's not quite the loud and brash Monster. It's almost as if it should have come after Autimatic and before Monster. The 1st single - Ebow the Letter was vague and perhaps not a single but that shouldn't detract from it. The haunting vocals of Ms. Faithfull make the song and offset Stipe's almost spoken vocals.

The 1st song 'How the west was won'...doesn't particularly have that 'R.E.M.' feel to it. It's piano lead and all the better for it. It's a slow builder which gives way to the epic 'Wake Up Bomb' with it's glam rock tendencies and it's Oasis baiting 'Supersonic...what a joke'. It's brash and egotistical 'I had to teach the world to sing by the age of 21'. The folky New Test Leper gives way to Undertow - one that was played live in Edinburgh on THAT tour. Listening to Stipe singing about drowning is strange but Mill's bass feedback makes it all worthwhile.
Perhaps, the highlight and most unexpected song is Leave. It starts slow and orchestral and would fit nicely on Automatic yet at 1minute, 1 second a drum kicks as does a constant siren weaving in and out of the song for the duration of it's 7 minute entirety. It's this that makes it start out. They are not afraid to experiment. It's very un-R.E.M. but it works beautifully. Departure showcases a shouting Stipe in almost conversational style akin to the later Bad Day which appeared on the Best of. Binky the Doormat represents the best song title ever. I'm not even sure if Binky even gets named.
Low Desert is American all they way even the hey, hey's whilst it closes with Electrolite. a definite Automatic song with it's piano sensibilities.

Why is it criticised? Because it's a road album? Or because it not very R.E.M.esque. It is. And it isn't. But that's what bands do. Change with each album. If they stay the same, they fade away.
Anyway, i'moff to practice my T-rex moves and make a scene.

Pick

I'm frustrated. It's muggy and getting cloudy but i'm enclosed in my air-conditioned bubble in my office. It's definitely been the best investment that i've made. These days, the majority of the University also has air-conditioning - the classrooms, the admin. offices...although there is 1 room that hasn't yet it is a room with every single person uses at some point. The bog. The bathroom.
The reason I noticed this was because I had a call of nature. There I was sitting there trying to eject a depthcharge big enough to sink the Belgrano, when all this sweat started dribbling down my forehead. If the room was air-conditioned, I could drop my load without breaking sweat however without it, it makes things decidedly uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than it needs to be. If I was running up 10 flights of stairs, I could understand but sitting there pushing should not make me sweat. Period.

So, finally when it passed, I had to mop my brow and rush back to my office just to re-acclimatise myself. I'm not impressed and do not want to experience this for the remainder of the summer but what can I do...hold it un until I get home where I could enjoy the pleasure of a non-sweat inducing call of nature.

Thinking of contacting the President of the University re: this. I bet he has air-conditioning in his private bog. I bet he doesn't get all hot and sweaty. Actually, I bet he gets someone else to do it all for him 'cos he's minted and 'cos he's the President and everyone is up his ass anyway but then that's a completely different story.

Open

Word of the week: 'Back'

Back at University. Back in class and back in the groove. Well, almost. It might take a week or so. Thankfully, not all students came to class which gave the week a very relaxed feel. Next week though. No messing about. Getinthere.

Phrase of the week: 'No foreigners'

Well, it's official that part of this country are in fact less than tolerant with non-Koreans. It's sad to hear that this is the case in this day and age. It is though symbiotic of this country. I would love to slate it but actually, I feel quite sorry for all these bigots because in many ways they don't know any better. They have never met many 'foreigners' and have little experience in dealing with us. This coupled with the fact that many people have never even left the country to experience other culutres and people have left a whole generation unable to cope with non-Koreans and as a consequence they are openly hostile to us. Perhaps it's fear of the unkown. It's a clique but if they got to know us, they would find that actually we're all pretty damn similiar. It's just disappointing that they are so closed...

Sight of the week: 'Shirts and Ties'

They are back also. I don't particularly like wearing them in this heat but it's got to be done. When in Rome and all that. I would much rather be in my shorts and t-shirt.

Song of the week: nosong.

Leper

So,got up early...it was still dark. Took a shower, got dressed and myself ready for the say ahead which was meant to be a trip to some island near Incheon. Apparantly, in the 1970's the Korean government set up some covert military operation in which a bunch of criminals were given the option of remaining in prison or joining this elite military team whose sole aim was to take out the North Korean leader. If they succeded they would be set free, however the chances of success were limited. In essence it was a suicide mission. Anyway, the government then changed it's mind about the mission and as a consequence the 'criminals' revolted and killed 18 out of 24 of their senior officers and tries to make it back to the mainland. It has subsequently been made into a movie.
So, that's where we were going...

But, we were about to jump on the bus when the bus driver informs us that the trip was not 'for foreigners' clearly, one was not impressed.

Now, that kind of behaviour in unacceptable in the UK with laws outlawing such thinking. This though is Korea and this is the sort of attitudes that we are up against on a daily basis. Had I been more fully awake I would have got on the bus anyway and took my seat. I mean, what could the bus driver really do?
If he had said anything, I would simply have said 'come on mate, you're late...we have a ferry to catch'.
And if he wanted to kick up a fuss, I would have requested that he get in touch with the Boss. Not his boss but the Boss of the entire company. I would have got him out of his bed and asked exactly why I couldn't get on this bus. Isn't my money the same colour as the others. Are my legs not the same. dO I not have 2 arms and 2 ears and 2 eyes. I even have a knob. I am 100% human. Why can't I get on this bus. Clearly, the only thing he could possibly say is 'You're not Korean'. What else could he say? Not a thing.

An it is this that should be outlawed. People like this who have these kind of views. Tony Blair wants to deport or send to prison people who hold these views. I suspect that perhaps half of this country may get deport if such laws were introduced here.

If I can get the website address for the company, I will post it and ask that you either make it crash or else bombard it with messages asking exactly why they have this policy. My plan is simply to send a email politely asking for an explanation. I will continue to do this everyday until I'm either blocked or I get an answer. I've got time.

We need arevolution. It needs to start somewhere. I can only do my part.

This country.

Reno

Dundee Utd.

Idiots.

Scottish football at it's best. In past years Scottish teams have been relatively successful in European competition with provincial teams claiming the scalps of big teams. These days though, it's the crap teams from crap countries that claim the scalps of our teams. Dundee Utd. 2 up and cruising through to the next round against the mighty Fins, MyPa 47. Then all of a sudden they are out having conceded 2 late goals. It's not the 1st time. Dunfermline did the exact thing against some unknown Icelandish team last season. Of course, crashed to the unkown Artmedians, a team that sound like a production company. It's a common occurance by Scottish teams and it's terrible. It's like out teams get themselves into a good position and then suddenly get a nose bleed and cock it all up.

cAN'T We learn. We shouldn't be getting knOcked out by these teams. It's that simple. Only Hibs and Rangers remain in Europe and Hibs have only managed that because they haven't played a game yet. Come on - get this co-efficient up before we have to pre-qualify for the pre-qualifying rounds.

It's all getting too depressing and with a Scotland double header that could finally convince us that we aren't going to the World Cup next week, to come. It could be painful.

Horse

Payrisepayrisepayrisepayrisepayrise...

A surprise but one that is more than welcome. It's not much but at 6% you can't really complain too much. Although, it actually went into effect in March yet were are just getting the amounts now. My pay was much bigger than I thought it would be this month because of it.
Of course, we are still not paid anything like the amount that our Korean colleagues are getting. Conservative estimates suggest that we are on less than half what they are making. In fact, the University is in the top 5 in Korea for pay...but only to Korean's. We're still making less than teachers working in private language schools. So much for the prestige of working at a University. Will that change?of course not. We are dispensable. I'd heard than many don't get jobs because of their ability but rather because of the amount of money that they give to the University. That's wrong. If you're not upto the job, then you shouldn't be doing it. It's that simple. I mean, your not going to hire a punter who can drive a car, to pilot an airplane. Also, it has been said that our Korean colleagues could publish an article a month for which they could make 2 million Won per article on top of their monthly salary. The article money is more than we make in a month!

I wonder where my colleagues priorities lie. WIth their student's or their articles?

When I'm head of Department, there will be some changes. No question about it but then the chances of a English speaker being the head of the English Department. Zero. Welcome to Korea.

Burn

Isn't funny when some people claim to be expert's in their field but in actual fact have no real idea or concept of anything related to the field.
Good faker's. I could name names but you wouldn't know them anyway.
Take, for example...a textbook. After briefly flicking through a new one, I would have no real idea if it was good or bad. Perhaps it looks good, perhaps it comes with alot of suppliementary 'stuff' but ultimately, I can't just determine whether is good or bad simply by looking briefly through it. I make no bones about that. It could be all style and no substance. You don't know until you analysis it more closely.

Yet, so people can look briefly through a book and then suddenly become experts upon it. I take my hat off to them but realistically...can they 'know' a book after 5 minutes. Can they bawes...and don't try to fake it by spouting xyandz.

Clearlyi'm not impressed.

South

We'll not mention the weekend football other than to say that it wasn't good. A 3-1 defeat a the hands of those dirty huns doesn't bode well either for the new manager or the players confidence. All of which leaves Hearts sitting pretty at the top of the league after the 1st 4 games. Not a bad feat given that the team is very different to the one that finished the previous season down in 5th place. How long will it continue? I don't care, so long as the huns don't win it!

I was reading that some 'Christian' T.V. evangliest guy had requested that the U.S. Government bump-off Hugo Chavez, the Bolivian /?/ top man. His argument was that why should the government spend $2 Billions to send the army in when they coud just get some else to kill him. What a knobhead.
I mean, honestly. As far as i'm aware, it's rather unChristian to suggest killing and I'm fairly sure that the Bible does not condone killing in any form, so why then is this 'Christian' advocating killing this guy. These people are dangerous. All in the name of religion. What a pile of poo...just because you don't agree with someone, doesn't mean that they are bad people or are not worthy or are any less important. Is that what Christianity is these days?
If it is then please stop the World because i want to get off it. It is this sort of person that we should be locking up. The U.K. Government are trying to pass a bill that would see those that preach such hatred locked up and this should be apply to this idiot since that is what he is doing. I tell you want, if it had been a Muslim leader suggesting the same thing, then the FBI and others would have waded in. No wonder there are so many pissed off people these days.

Nucleotide

Stage fright. An affliction usually associated with actors on stage but now found at a classroom near you. Having not been infront of a class for so long, it's unnerving to suddenly be thrust into a class full of young adults again particuarly when I had gotten to class a full 35 minutes early to ensure that all my equipement was working. Needless to say, the 35 minutes + was spent trying to get the damn equipement working properly. All I wanted to do was show my students the website that was meant to accompany the class...I had it all planned. I would get a notebook and connect to the internet port in the class and connect that to the beam projector thingy which would project it onto the screen at the front of the class.
Perfect. In theory. Imperfect. In practice.

Never rely on technology. Even if you plan everything planned with military precision, something goes pear shaped. And in front of a new class and the start of the new class. Honestly, there is no room to feel sorry for yourself, you just have to get on with it. And on with it, i did. Thankfully, the equipement fixed itself and we were ok but those minutes of frustration are not to be recommended. I think i'll stick to the chalk and blackboard. At least they are unlikely to cause a cock-up...


Anyway day 1 done. 16 weeks and 4 days to go.

Turn

Word of the week: 'Pectin'

Apparantly, you need it. Why, i'm not sure but boy, do you need it.

Phrase of the week: 'Bloody University'

It's back. Am I looking forward to it. Am I bawes.

Sight of the week: 'Hair'

Yes, everyone has it - apart from complete baldies - but it's funny where people have it. I went to Korean waterpark over the weekend. I was surprised by the amount of flesh on show. But pleasantly surprised in some cases. However, hair should be discrete and where it should be. On men that is on the head, the face, perhaps the chest and arms and the legs. All other hair, i don't care about and have no desiring in seeing anyway. On women, it should be on the head. Only. It can also be in another place but and clearly that would be desirable but is usually always hidden. But...i do not what to see a clearly hairless (on the chest) man with hair pertruding from his micro-speedos. It's unsightly and mingin. And all these men who have about 4 hairs on their chests. Get them off. Why grow them to such fantastic lengths when you only have 4 of them. It's a mystery. Women, come on...get the hair off the legs and off the pit's - you'll never pull with it.

Song of the week: 'Deception' by Le Tigre

Stumbled across this by accident...initially, it sounds like a cross between the B-52's and some lo-fi, screaming mad-women but it is great. Lo-fi it is but completely tuneful with fantastic use of 'dang, dang, ding dong's' and even mention linoleum floors. And even re-mixed by DFA. What else do you need in a song?

Helicopter

The recurring theme of swings and roundabouts is something that does continue and it can be acutely felt by the passing of one 'zedrock' here in Cheonan. It's not a classy place but it is by no means a dive, in fact, it's quite a respectable establishments, one with nice seats, a nice bar to sit at, some half decent toilets, interesting lighting combinations and music both live and recorded. It is the sort of place that is derided but it is a place that does exactly what it sets out to do and that is to entertain. Alcohol certainly plays it's part in that and in no way should one make excuses for that. It serves the purpose.
But, it is now closing. It's a place that has always been there in much the same way that Edinburgh Castle has been in Edinburgh or that my golf balls have always been in the gorse bushes at some point. It's in it's fabric.

My 1st visit was a bewildering experience in the same way that the previous 3 weeks in Korea had been. The evening had started with an aborted trip to Sizi Niteclub which saw us being knocked back for not being Korean...it was then suggested that we go to this 'other place'. This 'other place' was a live music bar in the bowels of some building. It was large but fairly busy with blue neon strips placed around the seating area, instead of the 'low' seats, we sat at the 'high seats'. It was then that we were introduced to all kinds of fellow non-koreans and Koreans alike. I recal Bill in his red patterned tie and the Belgian Jeff. An older women who smoked like a chimney and this bald guy who was wearing a Mac and a Korean women who made a point of sitting next to me. It was an experience. No question of that - particularly the miniature barrels that were the pitchers.
The evening continued well after theband had finished it's set. It was Zedrock.
Of course, in this business faces come and go but the zed was constant. Constant for seeing faces, regulars, fights, 'interesting' dances moves, drunk old Korean men, shy Korean women. Just an eclectic mix of Cheonan.

Highlights remain vague. I'm not sure pure, unadultered highlights are made it a place like the zed but hightlights in the sense of 'something to talk about' at a later time whether that be the foreigners getting into fights with each other - actually, there are always fights in the zed. boyfriends/girlfriends, girls/girls, boys/boys, co-workers/coworkers, ignorant fat blokes/wedding parties, all sorts - to the paying of the group bill at the end of the evening when some people would strangely disappear at the vital time or the time a certain co-worker of mine managed to obtain a certain amount of non-vacuum cleaner assisted suction on the emergency exit stairs and of course all the shenaningans that occur in certain toilet cubicles. Everything happened in the zed but at the same time nothing really did. An oddity. An oddity that will probably never be allowed to thrive in the future.the zed. we salute u.overand out.

Forget

Theend of the holiday. Shocking. June18th seems like a long time ago. The day that classes ceased and the long summer started in earnest.All those plans of doing xyz were about to kick in. I nreality, did they?
__________________some of them did. Some are still 'work in progress' an example being the continuing tramua that is learning Korean and getting to a decent standard. It's easy to get disheartened and that has definitely has been in evidence. I think the reason is that you finally remember a particular vocab. piece or a sentence or something but then you never actually get round to needing it in any given situation. For me, that's the hard bit. If I learn something, I want to be able to whip it out, not store it for a time way in the future when I might actually need it. It's a problem.
In terms of trying to become a better,more effective teacher-well, maybe. I've tried to come upwith alt. ways of doing things and helping my student's. Creating a website for example. Next semester will tell me if I have succeeded. Also, the ongoing struggle to get to the gym has been sucessful although the phyiscal success still aludes me. I am certain that some people are more inclined to get fitter and obtain more muscle mass that others. I AM in the latter category. No question about that. But, one day...

Otherwise, it's been a holiday for contrasting moods, feelings and hangovers. Nothing unusual there. The thing that really has struck me is the passing of time. Not in a day by day, hour by hour sense but in a 'my god, doesn't he look older these days. A particular example escapes me at the moment but there certainly has been pictures or movies that i've thought they the person or persons have aged markedly but then we all have. Perhaps I just noticed it but it does scare me...which then took me to the mortally thing in which the fact that i'm 28years old is becoming a problem.I can no longer think, I can do 'that' in a year or two because i'm going to be well 'older'.Conversely, the thought that, for example Britpop kicked in 10 years ago or thinking, I quite liked that football strip - what, that was the 97-98 season?!? I spectre of death does actually mean something and it's not something that happens to other people. I suspect it's just my morbid 'what if' tendancy...i recall thinking about that on the plane back to Scotland. What if this plane has some problem, that would probably be it for me and then trying to think how that would be. Would it be freezing or lack of oxygen or would I still be alive until I finally reached land again. And alone. perhaps the thing, being alone. One of the 'survivors' from the Air France flight skidded through the runway said something along the lines of 'she wanted a hug for 1 last time before her time was up'. It scares me. If there was a way of preserving my current well being right now for infinity or there abouts, i would.

See what long holidays do.

Thingy

_Smug ALERT-

England - 'potential' World Cup winners lost 4-1 last night to Denmark and now for the best bit - Scotland didn't lose.

Fantastic.

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. Feeling much better now.

Actually, i'm not feeling that great. Think that might have had something to do with a particular yellow coloured alcoholic drink that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Anyhow, swings and roundabouts seem to be very apparant currently, metaphorically speaking of course, given that I haven't been near either for quite some time and certainly none of the quality in evidence at a certain park not far from my home...______________with regular haunts closing or changing whilst new, unfamiliar ones are appearing. This also seems particularly true of people, with bonds broken and others gathering strength inspite of or because of circumstance. I could name names but i don't really feel upto it. It's just funny how things happen based on a sentence or a simple action or non-action.And in the whole make up of 'things' whereby, for example, you feel that your doing well in terms of integrating to the host country when something occurs which sets you back whether that be language or simply listening and appreciating what is happening. Perception alterations if you like.

anyway, can i just re-iterate that result from yesterday Denmark 4 - England 1. That's 4 - 1. To them.

Explorations

_could this be the mother of all cock-ups?

A leaked report suggests that the 'suicide' bomber who was shot and killed at Stockwell Tube Station did not resist arrest, did not runaway from the police, did not jump the barriers at the Tube Station and was not wearing an unseasonably large jacket. Furthermore, he was not 100% identified by the survellence team because a key member of that team was taking a leak at the time.

It certainly seems like a complete cock-up and one which my have been covered up at the highest level. However, as far as i can see, it's all heresay. We heard the eye-witness accounts at the time suggesting thisthat and the next thing. ThE Police didn't exactly say whether these accounts were true or not.Ultimately, one guy is dead. Mistakes were made and those involved need to learn from it. That's not to belittle the dead guy or to try to justify the actions of the police because I don't have the facts and I wasn't there...it's happened. Let's make sure that everything is out in the open and then make judgement so long as we are not subjected to the envitable 'spin' which will accompany any official report into it. cLEARLY, WE don't want anything like this to happen again...

Cryptic

Looks like we're back...comeon.Well, it's heads down and preparation for the start of the new semester next week. All boring stuff but it will make the semester run smoother plus trying to implement new books, websites and ideas with i'll us throughout the semester.THis semester we're going for a new slot at the send of each class in which a team of 4 can do anything that displays their English abilty whether that be a song or drama or play or even just sitting chatting about some topic. It's an attempt to get the student's doing instead of me telling them that we're goin gto be doing xyz. Also, a website outlining what wee did in class plus links that may /or may not/ help them with their English. Whether or not the student's actually use it is another matter but nothing ventured, nothing gained...

All of which makes me think that i'm way too 'teachering' - sorry, another made up word?-orientated.Not that that makes me a good teacher because i doubt that I am. Actually,as time continues it feels that the only reason for staying in Korea is because of the teaching and I think that the past few weeks back in Scotland has just confirmed that. That is in no way a slight on people here in Korea as I have meet some truly great people that I would hope to stay in contact with in the future but it's just a feeling that i get. Perhaps that feeling has always been there...certainly, during last semester Monday's were not seen as black entities that simply had to be gotten through, instead, they were the opposite with a strong feeling of happiness in evidence on monday mornings because i was back in the classroom with my students - or should that be 'audience'?
Thejob. only the job. Kind of pathetic. Perhaps, the best job i'm likely to have__but is it enough.

Snoring

Still can't get onto this site.

Timtam

CENSORSHIP

Still being blocked from viewing my own website. The cheek of this country.

Am I a threat to national security or something because I happen to mention what happens in the country. Unbelievable.

How come I could potentially check out some extremist website or something equally unpleasant but can't see my own little, humble thingy.

Cable

Looks like this site and all the other 'blogspots' are being blocked...

I can get onto the writing page but I can't actually view my site or any other 'blogpsot' websites.

Anyone else having problems?Strange.

Address

__in the distance but coming in fast is a sound. The unmissable sound of Korean's chatting. Oh.

It's something that I've been very happy not hearing for a few weeks but then suddenly it's there and annoying me. Can't say I was to impressed at arriving at gate B23 in Frankfurt International Airport. It was the usual mix of dodgy looking German engineers/porn stars and the identical looking/acting Korean's. The disgust hit me.
Why do they/=Korean travellers/ take pictures at the departure gate in exactly the same pose as every single other photo they have ever taken. Why do they need 5 seats for there rice cookers and boxes of unused Ramen. Why do they not listen to the tannoy announcements which are actually in Korean-one of them started queueing at the gate. Within 10 seconds half of Korea had joined. The announcement then went out that we were not boarding just yet and that everyone should sit down. During this message, it was also made clear that the old and those with children would be allowed to board 1st, followed by those in 1st class. Did the queue move upon hearing this? _______________Did it bawes. Why. Do they think that they are immune to the rules and general 'niceness' displayed by the rest of the world. It really staggers me. Admittedly, one could argue that many of them have never been overseas and many display some degree of naiveity however, this excuse can only go so far.
It really did my nut. Welcome back to reality.

furthermore, why are they unable to stay in there seats during the flight. It's not like they can go anywhere but this does seem to compute. Up and down the aisles they go - like yo-yos. Do they think that they will miss something of they stay in there seat? Honestly, I was sticking my foot out into the aisle with the express desire of tripping some knobhead up. I came close to knocking over some middle-aged man. Serves him right for wearing his hiking gear - cap and sunglasses included on an airplane. All this movement makes me nervous especially when kids are up and down and standing at the emergency doors. I don't know how the air-stewardess manage.

========this coupled with the Captain getting on the tannoy just prior to take-off to tell us that 1 of the left hand engines wasn't working and that they had had to switch it off and restart it to make sure it was working, meant that the flight wasn't the best. Glad to have finally landed.

Press

flying.

Graft

tHE reality that is Bigbrother continues to amaze. It really is a dull thing, watching random people who are stuck in a confined space for 10 weeks but such mundaneness is completely compelling. Channel4 show it 'live' on E4. I must confess to not watching it 'live' but I know people who do - a certain Dr.! - I am happy just to watch the highlights each night. _Down to the final week with 5 remaining housemates - 2 women both nippy and 3 men - 1 definitely gay, 1 lad and 1 who is Mr. Average. So completely dull and ordinary that he will probably win it because of his ordinariness. The highlight was him 'speaking' to other housemate - actually, it was a monologue - he was wittering on about radio's for literally 5 minutes, non-stop when the other housemate simply said 'Can I put make-up on you?' Completely stopping him in his tracks.
Todays sees a 'surprise' eviction of one of them. Alas, i'll miss it along with friday's 'winning' show. Gutted.

Bit

The countdown to going back to Korea continues...it's a strange thing. You just know that you need to go back. It's just what happens. I don't particurly get excited about nor do I get depressed about it. My best friends in place but the job and the house in another. Not ideal but that is how it's turned out to be. Clearly, that will have to change at some point in the future but the 'when' currently escapes me.

The 'when' might be sooner rather than later given the excellent weekend that has just past with the BBQ /still haven't been sick!/, the Uni. mates out on the town and the football on the sunday. All you can really want on a weekend.

Alas, flying back on thursday. I'm at the point of trying to figure out what I need to bring with me. So much I would like to but not enough money or space in the bag's to justify it. So many CD's to buy and alot more non-korean clothes. And perhaps the odd lump of chocolate.
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cREDIT

tHINK THE EXCESSES of the previous couple of weeks are starting catch up with me. Gone is the slimline pf. In it's place is the seasonally plump version usually present around Christmas. But, being back in the motherland does currently seem like Christmas with much food and drink being consumed and the 'odd' late night happening. Actually, I think i'm now on 1st name terms with the night bus driver. He doesn't even stop at the bus-stop now, instead he drops me further up the road, closer to my house!

pLUS, the sun is shining which for some reason makes me want to drink. You can't beat sitting out the back garden /doesn't matter whose/ with a glass or 2 of some delightful little brew and wonderfully funny people. They know who they are. It's something that you can't do in Korea.Lovingit!